- 1 day ago
The GBAG Nation dove into rumors surrounding the NFL Draft, including buzz around the Cowboys targeting Caleb Downs or Rueben Bain Jr. and how other teams could impact the board. They also break down "The Beast," highlighting players like Jacob Rodriguez while debating age concerns and the growing impact of NIL on evaluations, and more.
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00:00Oh, what a day of rumors.
00:02Always going to get some draft rumors.
00:04We're two weeks away.
00:05Of course, the best draft coverage in the world right here on 105.3 The Fan.
00:10Fresh episode of The Stack is out as well.
00:12If you want to go ahead and check that out on YouTube, Crown Global Media, myself, Broadus, Aisha,
00:17putting out some content for you there.
00:19But the latest, you'll get.
00:21I just wanted to mention, hey, don't forget, Path to the Draft is brought to you by Pluckers.
00:25Join us at all Pluckers locations Thursday.
00:27Today, two weeks from tonight, April 23rd for our annual draft party.
00:33People are just making me crazy on this stuff.
00:35I'm reading comments.
00:36Oh, gosh.
00:37We had this discussion.
00:38Maybe I should do this across East Corner.
00:40Maybe.
00:40But people are kind of because this whole thing with the age.
00:44Oh, like the measure stuff?
00:46The old thing with the player.
00:46Yeah.
00:47A lot of ageism, man.
00:48And this guy named William, who's always on my ass about stuff, he says,
00:52Brian talking about the second contract length being the reason why people don't want older
00:57prospects is completely missing the point.
01:0024-year-olds beating up on 18-year-olds is much less predictable than someone who's 19
01:04playing well.
01:06There's so many studies on this, and the hubris to not understand this is crazy.
01:10You could say Mesidor is an exception to explain why he may well be, but to not add it to
01:16the
01:17risk factor in your evaluations means you're not taking into account that all the information
01:21we have learned over the years.
01:23I can only think of one 18-year-old that was really doing that at a high level, and that
01:27was Malachi Tony.
01:28Let me just say this.
01:29I mean, it's kind of, everything's trending older now in college football.
01:33Everything is absolutely trending older.
01:35Hey, get ready for it out there, William.
01:37Get ready for older players every year.
01:41I just happen to be ahead of the game instead of you being ahead of the game.
01:45Ooh.
01:46Oh, he's pissed.
01:47No, I am pissed.
01:48I'm pissed because...
01:50You ticked him off now.
01:50You're going to start to see...
01:53It's not that I look at the age.
01:55I think, listen, just get the guy to the second contract if you can.
02:00Right.
02:00I've always had a little problems doing that as of late.
02:03Yeah.
02:03But I'm looking at this now as, with NIL, you're going to see a lot of older players.
02:11What are you going to do then when the older players are starting to...
02:14You're going to put your head in the sand like most of these people do?
02:18I choose not to.
02:20You choose to keep fighting.
02:21Well, I choose to understand that even though I'm 62 years old and evaluating these players,
02:28that there's things that are different that we didn't do 20 years ago.
02:32And we said, oh, this was a hard and fast rule and you can't do it this way.
02:36You've got to be open-minded and you've got to adjust.
02:38You absolutely have to be open-minded and you absolutely have to adjust.
02:44And it drives me effing nuts when somebody is telling me like, oh, you're just sitting
02:52there, you're not thinking about it this way.
02:54You're thinking about it this way.
02:56I'm thinking about it because teams are going to have to start thinking about it.
03:00Sure.
03:00Because of what COVID did, COVID gave us older players.
03:04And I'm telling you right now, the NIL is about to give us older players.
03:08Well, the NCAA is also now looking at a five-year eligibility rule that they're possibly going
03:13to implement.
03:14So players now could get an extra year just in general, which is also going to add to
03:19this even further.
03:20I just, it drives me, like I say, how you could sit there and play this game all day
03:25of like, well, just because we did this in 1996, we have to do it in 2026.
03:32B.S., you don't.
03:34B.S.
03:34Evolve, right?
03:35The tiny DB is back, baby.
03:37Like they never left.
03:38And listen, I evaluate, and what he's trying to say is I put a lot of credence in the
03:42tape, and he's saying, oh, I'm watching Messador beat up on 20-year-old guys.
03:48Not really true.
03:49That's not true.
03:50No.
03:51It's not true.
03:51There's older tackles with length and all that.
03:54Bain beating.
03:55There's tackles.
03:56I can pull you hundreds of clips of Bain going against offensive tackles with long arms and
04:01him kicking their ass.
04:03I can pull a hundred of them.
04:04Well, specifically talking about Reuben Bain, you're going to like this.
04:07Jordan Reed.
04:07I'm sorry.
04:08I didn't mean to hijack.
04:08No, no.
04:08You're good.
04:09You're good.
04:09This is going to make you excited.
04:11Credit to William for what day baseball and Masters going on and being able to rattle
04:15Broaddus' cage like that.
04:16That's pretty impressive, dude.
04:18I'm just saying, though, that people calling me out on this stuff.
04:21I get it, man.
04:22I attempt to be open-minded about scouting nowadays.
04:27I'm not sitting there.
04:28If you just honestly watch guys play, like I say, Bain 17 weeks, you'll realize why he
04:35should be on your football team.
04:37But there'll be somebody who'll say, well, he's got short arms.
04:40He's got short arms.
04:41Is that what Jordan Reed's saying, Walsh?
04:42No.
04:43Jordan Reed is saying that the Cowboys, the two players that he believes the Cowboys would
04:50maneuver up for, Caleb Downs, Safety Ohio State, and Reuben Bain Jr., the edge out of
04:56Miami.
04:58So the Cowboys, if this is accurate...
05:00I like this.
05:01Reuben Bain Jr.
05:01Very much in play.
05:02Now, those two also could be two players that the Cowboys could stay, and maybe they fall
05:06into their lap if the draft gods smile on them.
05:09But they could also be aggressive and say, we're not going to risk it.
05:12Let's go get our guy.
05:13If Williams run in these teams, Dallas just needs to sit there.
05:18Dallas needs to sit there and just sit at 12.
05:21Well, he definitely wouldn't be taking Mesidor.
05:23If they get wiped out, and we're talking Mesidor at 12, Williams is not going to do that.
05:26But am I right about this?
05:27You're right.
05:27If we're going to sit here and think, if we're going to sit here and be like, well,
05:32we used to do this in 1996, and we can't take a shorter player.
05:36We can't do...
05:37If all the general managers are thinking that way, then by all means, don't trade up.
05:43Yep.
05:44If it's positional value and all...
05:46If that's clouding your judgment, don't trade up.
05:51No reason to.
05:52Because general managers are going to let you take Bain or Downs.
05:57Because their minds are like, oh...
06:00How about just look at data from over the years and not say, okay, this is a hard, fast rule.
06:07Absolutely.
06:08Now, some of the other rumors ahead of Dallas...
06:10How about take the best player?
06:11Take the best player.
06:12Wide receiver in play, which we've talked about for a few days.
06:15It's six to Cleveland.
06:16That's good for Cowboys.
06:18Wouldn't be surprised if the Saints took Cornell Tate if he's available at No. 8, says Jordan Reed.
06:24Wide receiver out of Ohio State.
06:26So there's two teams that we thought, ooh...
06:28I mean, Cleveland we haven't really been worried about as a team taking a defender.
06:32We've looked at a lineman there, and that's also a team that wants to bail.
06:35And I do still think Cowboys moving up there.
06:37But the Saints, maybe being in play for an offensive player like a receiver, that also would help the Cowboys
06:43out a lot.
06:44Because that's been a place where we've thought maybe a defensive player could go.
06:48Jets reportedly extremely high on wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr. out of Indiana.
06:53And Kenyon Sadiq, the tight end from Oregon, and wide receiver Jordan Tyson, Allen's own, has been connected to the
07:01Ravens.
07:02So, those are just some of the latest rumors.
07:05Sounds like the Bengals also are liking secondary as their round one priority.
07:09So you're looking at a McCoy.
07:11You're looking at possibly Monsoor Delane.
07:13I did see today a report out of Kansas City that they're very interested in Jermon McCoy.
07:18Which, I think that makes a lot of sense.
07:21It fits the bill for what Spags wants to do.
07:23Spags wants.
07:24Now, they've done a great job over the years developing guys at the cornerback spot who were picked in the
07:30middle to late rounds.
07:31But maybe they want to take advantage of a premium talent in the top nine.
07:37A place where they're not used to drafting.
07:40But I love the idea that they're interested in Bain and Downs.
07:43Hopefully that is true.
07:44And obviously I think we'd all be down for them for the right deal to move up and go get
07:48those guys.
07:49But I also think it's interesting that those are the two guys of the premium defenders that could go top
07:53ten.
07:54Those are the two most likely guys to fall to you at 12.
07:57Yeah, and I love it.
07:58You'd be in a great spot if that were to happen.
08:00And you can get Downs or Bain there at pick 12.
08:04You guys know the other draft crush of me other than Downs that I have is, of course, Jacob Rodriguez.
08:10I was smiling today when Hall of Fame linebacker Luke Kuechly said,
08:16Hey, who happens to be your favorite linebacker in the draft?
08:19And he dropped Jacob Rodriguez.
08:21Take it away, Luke!
08:22You look at guys like him, and the one thing I think is most important for backers is how quickly
08:27can you process?
08:28How quickly can you be lined up, you see something happen, and know exactly where you're going to go.
08:34And I think he's really good at that.
08:36I think he's a really good tackler.
08:38And his ball production has been phenomenal.
08:40I think four picks last year.
08:41He had seven forced fumbles.
08:43He was behind the line of scrimmage TFL-wise 11 times, which in college football is a big number.
08:48And he's an attacker.
08:50Like, he goes and gets it.
08:52He doesn't wait.
08:53There's a lot of guys that are big and can run that make tackles down the field, and you need
08:59guys to do that.
08:59But it's fun when you watch guys play backer, and they go this way.
09:04And they go forward, and they attack on angles.
09:07And you watch guys play, and it's very easy to see with certain guys how much fun they have playing
09:13football.
09:14And he's one of those guys.
09:15Oh, speak my language, Luke.
09:18Oh, talk to me.
09:20I love it.
09:21And he went on to also talk about the arm length stuff.
09:23People have knocked him for the arm length.
09:25It's like, it doesn't matter at any time after you're drafted.
09:29Yeah, Keekly was a short-arm guy.
09:30Yeah, Levante David, he used as an example.
09:32One of the best players I've ever scouted in my life.
09:34I know, he's your favorite linebacker for sure that you've ever scouted.
09:37One of the best players I've ever scouted in my life, regardless of position.
09:41I mean, he was outstanding at Boston College.
09:43He had an amazing NFL career.
09:46But he works for the Panthers now.
09:48I wonder if, and Dan Morgan, another fellow stud linebacker.
09:53Dan Morgan was there.
09:54He's the GM.
09:55In Lubbock, at the pro day, getting his eyes on Jacob Rodriguez.
09:59Maybe that's why.
10:00I mean, Jonah Tolles on Love of the Star, and if you haven't heard it yet, our latest episode
10:04of Love of the Star with Jonah, there's three teams he's heard could be in play for Rodriguez
10:08outside of Dallas in the first round.
10:10And it starts with Carolina at 19, 21 Pittsburgh, and then Buffalo, who I want to say has picked
10:1626 maybe.
10:17But those are teams like, I know Bobby's been adamant he's not going to go round one.
10:21And, hey, if you can make a trade with Cleveland, and you're able to move back and pick up 39,
10:26and Jacob Rodriguez is there, sign me up.
10:27Awesome.
10:28I think he's going to end up going higher than people think.
10:31And I've been on board with taking him at 20, because I think that highly of him.
10:35But, hey, I mean, if he doesn't end up going round one, and you can find a way to get
10:39him
10:39in the second round with a trade back, or maybe, I mean, we've talked a lot about the Cowboys
10:42moving up in the first.
10:43Maybe you just go get your guy in the second.
10:45Maybe you use 92 and 112, or maybe you use a next year's pick.
10:49You say, I'm not waiting until pick 92.
10:51I need to go get my guy in the top of the second round.
10:53Maybe something like that happens.
10:55Man, the Keighley stamp of approval for a linebacker, that's really all you need right there.
11:01Quarterback of your D817 said, Jacob Rodriguez, I'm with you.
11:06And a magnet for the football, forcing the turnovers.
11:08That's part of the reason why I like Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, the Toledo safety.
11:12He's just a guy that kind of just creates havoc and gives the offense more opportunities.
11:17Rodriguez is the epitome of that for a linebacker.
11:20And that's another guy.
11:22I mean, if two safeties go, maybe it's Emmanuel McNeil-Warren that ends up going.
11:26Now, Fernando Mendoza is going to be the first overall pick.
11:30The rumors right now from Matt Miller of ESPN, 36, they're kind of earmarking for a wide receiver.
11:37Now, the wide receiver that they're interested in is Denzel Boston out of Washington, whom we've
11:43seen the Cowboys get mocked to at 20, and I do like Denzel Boston a lot.
11:47I'm a big fan of his game.
11:48Hey, Boston!
11:50But I don't know if he's going to be there at 36.
11:53I also wonder, does Vegas look at, you got Elijah Surratt, you got Omar Cooper Jr., you
12:00got former wide receivers of Fernando Mendoza.
12:03Yep.
12:04Does it not make sense to try and just reunite him with one of his old college players?
12:07If you're talking with those guys about that group, because they're all right there with
12:11each other, yes, absolutely.
12:13Yeah, like, I think, let's just keep that.
12:15You know, you've got continuity, you've got chemistry with those guys.
12:17See, that's smart team building right there, thinking about that.
12:20I mean, I think that's...
12:21Because they're all in that, they're all going to be in that 39 to 48 range.
12:25Right.
12:26Yeah.
12:27It makes sense to me.
12:28Cooper might go earlier.
12:30Yeah.
12:30Surratt?
12:31Yeah.
12:31Surratt, though, is, Surratt's a bad man playing football.
12:35Oh, he is.
12:35He's a bad man.
12:38Now, here was Diego Pavia.
12:39I played yesterday, or two days ago.
12:42John Gruden.
12:43Loved the snap count.
12:44I mean, he went freaking crazy for the Diego Pavia snap count.
12:48Now, Pavia is representing himself.
12:51And he's talking with Gruden about, you know, last year he had the chance to transfer.
12:55Here is Pavia.
12:56Is this smart or is this silly?
12:58From Diego.
12:58I don't understand what the hell's going on in college football now.
13:01I got my extra year back, but the transfer portal was like, everyone had a quarterback
13:08in the SEC.
13:09So, there was nowhere where I...
13:11I mean, there was a few places that I could go, but I knew where I wanted to stay.
13:16And so, I told the GM, you guys kind of got me by the balls.
13:19You guys know Coach Kiel.
13:20Coach Beck is here.
13:21You know I'm coming back.
13:22Let's find a fair number that I could come back for.
13:25And so, we worked it out.
13:27Now, are you representing yourself, or do you have an agent?
13:29No, I'm representing myself.
13:31Wow.
13:31Yeah.
13:31So, I didn't think it was fair that someone was going to represent me and take 5% to 10%.
13:38Ain't nobody taking my money, I'll tell you that.
13:41It's unbelievable for a young guy to be able to do this, man.
13:44No, I appreciate it.
13:44I mean, this is great, man.
13:47Okay, this is hilarious.
13:51Because, what did he say there?
13:535% or 10%?
13:54Yeah.
13:54It's actually 3%.
13:55It's only...
13:563% is what the agents get.
13:58So, he doesn't even know that.
14:00Yeah.
14:00That's probably just a microcosm of, like, what else does he not know?
14:05You could probably write a book of how much information he doesn't know.
14:10Yeah.
14:11And now he's going to go walk into these rooms and have these conversations.
14:14And, I mean, you're playing the...
14:16He was an amazing college quarterback, don't get me wrong.
14:18I just don't think his game's going to translate to the NFL.
14:21And then you talk about the mental factor of this as well.
14:26You know, the moxie, the toughness, the grit.
14:29Like, that's only going to get you so far in the league.
14:30You've got to be able to...
14:32I don't think we give these quarterbacks enough credit for how damn smart these dudes are.
14:36And having to be able to process quickly all the information, the playbook, the film study,
14:42all the work that goes into this, if you are not mentally...
14:46If you don't even know how much...
14:47If you haven't looked into an agent and how much percentage he's taken from you,
14:52maybe it's an overreaction here.
14:54But I don't know that I can trust you with the keys to my franchise as a quarterback.
14:57You know?
14:58For sure.
14:59Yeah.
14:59And he's got, I mean, how many questions...
15:01A lot of hard questions, probably, for him throughout the process.
15:04Absolutely.
15:04And not having anybody guide him on how to respond to some of the questions.
15:08True.
15:08Because he made a fool of himself multiple times throughout his college career.
15:12It's a bold, bold strategy.
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